The Otago Daily Times. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE OTAGO GUARDIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1879.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5325, 14 March 1879, Page 4

The Otago Daily Times. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE OTAGO GUARDIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1879.

The report which we have published from day to day of the proceedings of the Senate of the New Zealand University, now holding its annual session in this city, reveals a state of confusion and mismanagement in University affairs which, we suppose, can rarely have been paralleled in the annals of any academical body. We refer particularly to the facts which have come to light respecting the recent degree and scholarship examinations. Itjis, perhaps, not generally known in Otago that the examination papers have, for the last two years, been set in Melbourne by gentlemen appointed by the Melbourne University. This arrangement, not in itself a bad one, has, if we are to believe the testimony of persons who seem to be competent witnesses, resulted in a muddle which is scandalous to the University and disastrous to the unhappy students who are its victims. It might be supposed that, since the examiners have no other means of knowing the course of study than the information supplied to them by the Senate, care would be taken to acquaint them exactly with the work the students have been doing during the year. On the contrary, the examiuers have been allowed to set papers upon text-books which the students have never seen,and which the Professorial Board in Otago declare to be absolutely inaccessible. This at least is

true of Sismondi's "Political Economy," which has been announced by the Calendar as one of the text-books in its subject for two or three years past, and is in the list for the 8.A.. examination for the years 1879-81. Of this book the Professors say that, besides being "in other respects unsuitable," it is " not now in print, and not one of our students who went up for examination could possibly have seen it. There is not a copy even in the "University library." Yet, as they inform us, a student, to be in a position to answer five out of the twelve questions set in the Political Economy paper, must have read and studied this unsuitable and unattainable book. The Professors point out equal absurdities in connection with other branches of study. In Mental Science Schwegler's " History of Philosophy" is prescribed, a work which, if the students could get acces3 to it— a point upon which we are left unenlightened—is of such a nature that, " whatever preparation they were able to make for this formidable examination, can only have been a most mischievous cram. Yet, from the mere fact that Schwegler's hand-book was prescribed, the examiners for the last two years have covered the whole of this vast subject.' ' "With respect to another text-book prescribed in this subject, Oalderwood's " Moral Philosophy," we hear that, in Otago at least, it is left out of the course, though embraced in the examination : but of this fact our Professors say nothing. Their remarks, however, on the unsuitability of the other books named, they proceed to inform us, "apply with still more force to the text-books on Natural Science. The course under the .present arrangements must be limited to one year, and it is quite impossible to get up the books recommended in that time. Indeed, they indicate a course far more extended than that of the London University, a fact which shows that the subject as thus denned is quite beyond our reach." In Greek, Latin, and English the course is equally faulty. " English Language and Literature " is made to cover the study of authors suitable only for " honour-work in Philosophy," whilst in Classics the selections are " excessive in quantity." In short, the general course of University study, as marked out by the Calendar, is rudis indigestaque moles, which neither Professors nor students can pretend to get through. The initial blunder of inventing or sanctioning such a course, and basing it, in part at least, upon unsuitable and unattainable text-books, must be charged against the Senate. But a blunder equally serious fairly lies at the door of the professorial staff in Otago and elsewhere. It might be supposed that when these gentlemen found themselves required to conduct their students through an impossible course, and to instruct them out of text-books which, even if they had been suitable, were not to be got, they would have made such representations to the Chancellor or Senate as would have protected their helpless pupils from suffering by the blunder. Especially would they have taken care that the papers to be prepared in Melbourne should relate to the actual year's work, and not to text-books which, because unsuitable or unobtainable, were never in use. Incredible to relate, the Professors appear to have done nothing of the sort. The Calendar prescribing a course which they declare to be " quite beyond their reach," has been in their iiiitiua lur it -year— vl- -^o._, ~.._ .._. A ._ test or "petition" from which we have been quoting is not yet a week olc*- In some subjects „(, least they have lectured out of one set of text-books, and allowed the Melbourne examiners to prepare papers on another. After the papers have been presented to the luckless students, and a few days before tho examiners announce the result, the Professorial Board of Otago hands in to the Senate its protest, and recommends that next year a better system be adopted. Meanwhile it may be asked how the students who have been entrusted to the care of these two learned bodies have fared this year. An answer is supplied by the pass-list published in our issue of yesterday. The Chancellor informed the Senate on the first clay of the session that G9 candidates presented themselves at the recent examination. Yesterday he communicated the pleasing intelligence that ef the C 9 all but 18 have been " plucked." The Melbourne examiners have made tho feathers fly to an extent which will be remembered, we should imagine, for many a year to come. Considering the ingenuity with which Professors and Senate have conspired to muddle both the teaching and the examining, we do not think anyone need feel surprised at the success which has crowned their united efforts. We suppose that the plucking of nearly 75 per cent, of their year's crop of candidates will be felt by both these bodies to be a disgrace. Our sympathy is entirely for the hapless students. They are the victims of what may be truthfully described as a " slaughter of the innocents." We shall doubtless hear more of this affair, and meanwhile suspend our comments on some other features of the New Zealand University system.

The Lyttelton Times ia unnecessarily severe in its strictures on the directors of tho Kaitangata Company. So far as we can judge from tho evidence, we cannot perceive that any serious blame attaches to them. The whole question turns on whether the manager, Hodge, was incompetent, and known to the directors to be incompetent. Now, although the evidence does disclose that he was not a scientific miner, or a highly educated man, it i 3 the fact that as regards caring for the safety of the men under his charge, the directors had reason, from their observation of him, to be ontirely satisfied. If not a brilliant man, ho was at least regarded as, above all things, a safe one, and when the directors instructed him to use every precaution, they had every reason to suppose that he would do so. Their confidence waa also strengthened by the latest official roport on tho mine, which was extremely favourable, and specially mentioned the ventilation a3 quite adequate. It is easy to be wise after the time, and to see what might have been done ; but judging from tho facts before them, tho directors, so far as wo can see, had no reason for any uneasiness. It is all very well to demand tho appointment of competont men, but a man may be competent in one way and not in another, and it is by no means easy to find men combining the necessary theoretical knowledge with care and general trustworthiness. As regards the latter qualification, the directors had implicit confidence in Hodge ; and as regards his practical knowledge, the official report on the condition of the mine would not lead to any doubts of his competency. The slight explosion that once took place, burning Jarvie, did give rise to some extra caution ; but that waa in the new

workings, the ventilation of which was being tested every day, so that no danjerous accumulations of gas could take place. On the whole, we think the Lytbelton Times is finding fault without auffisiont cause, and that the general verdict of the community will' acquit the directors of any culpable carelessness. We may further add that testimony has been placed in our hands, vouched for by no less an authority than Dr Hector—arid which we regret we are notable to publish to-day—which goes far also to exonerate William Hodge, the manager, from all culpability. The quality of the water at present distributed through the pipes has been bo widely and so justly condemned, that we should feel bound to point out the great danger incurred by postponing the construction of proper filtering-beds, i£ we did not believe another remedy was about to be applied in the shape of a pure and full supply from the Silverstream. We have not at present the advantage of using either lake water, or the comparatively pure stream of an unpolluted river. Our reservoir has sloping sides of mud, and is fed by a rivulet which collects the surface water from paddocks where cattle are kept. There are piggeries along its course; and it teems with life, both animal and vegetable. Some months ago Mr Thomson told the members of the Otago Institute that, in certain investigations he had been carrying out, his subjects, a species of water-flea, were procured readily from water drawn from the mains. Yesterday we published a letter wherein the presence of immense numbers of water-mites, creatures seldom found in swarms, was half plaintively, half humorously commented on. We may for our comfort note the opinion of certain medical men in Wellington on the water used there. On the 31st of January the Wellington Evoning Post published two columns of medical testimony, collected from such members of the faculty as their reporter was able to interview. The gist of the evidence was to the effect that the Wellington reservoir and the Wellington water resembled ours in almost every respect; and it was agreed by all the gentlemen consulted, that diarrhoea and various other ill effects, especially in the case of young children, not only ought to follow, but actually did result from, the use of this dangerous liquid. Now we are aware that filter-beds cannot be supplied in a day, and probably not at all without greatly enlarging the present reservoir ;so we suppose there is nothing for it but to wait for the supply from the new works now in progress. We are informed that this may begin to be brought into use within two months But although this water will, it is said, be of excellent quality, it will not be filtered, and we should recommend our correspondent to see if he cannot find some of the objectionable fauna of which he complains at the source of this supply, in which case filter-beds will be necessary. The construction of filter-beds is extremely simple. In an admirable handbook of Hygiene, by Dr George Wilson, we read that a tank has to be constructed with a paved bottom, and a series of drains leading into a central culvert. The tank is partially filled with gravel, and this covered with sand, both gravel and saud becoming finer «as the surface of the latter is reached. The depth of water must not greatly exceed two feet, and the speed of vertical descent should be from one to two feet per hour. Each square yard of filter-bed will give about 700 gallons of filtered water per diem, and there must be more than one such bed in order that each in turn may be cleaned from time to time, an operation performed by simply removing the top layer of sand to the depth of half an inch. In view of the grave danger we are incurring, we feel justified in urging the City Council to make careful inquiry as to the necessity for using the process of filtration in the new works, if they cannot in the old reservoir, as we have a strong conviction that if not immediately necessary, it will become so before long. We ore compelled, through pressure ou our Epace, to bold over our report of a poitiou of the Harbour Board meeting, the Cavereham Council, Milton Borough Council, and yesterday's meeting of^tbe Senate of the New Zealand University. The Arawata crossed the bar at low water yesterday without touching1, drawing 16 feet. An eiror occurred in the statement of the results of the Jata University examinations published yesterday. It should have appeared that T. R. Fleming, of Nelson College, gained a junior scholarship, and that J. W. Salmond was educated at the High School, Dunedin. The Harbour Board met yesterday afternoo^ when there were present—the chairman (Mr Tewsley), Messrs Walter, Ramsay, Fish, John Mill, Lridgman, Burt, and Captain Logan. A letter was read from the Marine Department, enclosing a comumuicitiou from Captain Pairchild, of the s.s. Hinemoa, who reported that tl at vessel touched on the bar of the Otago Harbour on the 17th ult., whilst drawing only 12 feet 6 inches. The Board adopted a lengthy letter in reply, aud the harbourmaster (Captain Thomson) reported that the Hinemoa must havo crossed the bar on the east side of the line of leading beacons, as on the west Bide there were 14^ feet at low water, and lGi in the channel. Mr Fishcommentet'somewhatstrongly on Captain Faircliild having gone out of his way to express bis opinion that "the harbour must be silting up a little." With regard to the Board's reserves, it was resolved to addrtss a letter t.> the Premier, calling attention to the efforts that had been made during the past four years to have the Board's reseryes placed on as satisfactory a footing as possible, sj that they might be properly utilised. The Board further sug. gested the appointment of a commission, consisting oE the members for Dunedin, Port Chalmers, the Peninsula, Roslyn, Taieri, and Tuapeka, to take evidence as to tho grounds and causes of the complaints and grievances of the Board. Several applications for the position of Im-pactor of Machinery were referred to tho Works Committee for report at the Board's next meeting. A voluminous report, prepared by the Engineer, in reply to statements made by Mr Elder, J.P., at tho recent public meeting at Port Chalmers relative to the silting up of the bay, and particularly to the decrease in the depth of water on the bar at the Heads in consequence of the Board's operations, was read, and will be found piintedin full in another column. Tha tender of Messrs Morgan and Cable for fitting up the machinery in the new hull of the side dredge was accepted. The price is LB9 10s, and the time in which the contract is to be liuished is 14 days. The ordinary reports were read and adopted, accounts amounting to over LIOOO passed for payment, and the Board adjourned till Tuesday next at 4 o'clock.' At Gutbric and Larnach's Woodware Pactoriea a cabinet is being constructed for the Sydney Exhibition, iv which it is intended to show the whole of the New Zealand woods in un 9. Judging from what can already bo seen of the article, and from tho pains ami care being be3towed upon its manufacture, the cabinet will be a remarkably handsome one when completed. Morsm Fraer, Ramsay, anil Green, as was expected, headed the poll in tho order named in tko election for three now membois of the Education Board, and at the meeting yesterday were therefore declarod electod. Out of about 130 School Committees 115 voted, so that a good deal of interest would appear to have been taken in tho election. Tho uttoution of Volunteers is called to a general order published in our adveitising columns, with reference to the aumul inspection by Major Withers. The Cavewham Borough Council Lave decided to ask the services of the Dunedin Volunteer Eire Brigade for extinguishing any fires occurring at Kensington. A man named George Bean, employed by Mr David Proudfoot in the work of laying the mains for the Silverstreain Water Supply through the Caveisham tunnel, sustained severe injuries through an accident yesterday. The furnace at which the lead for soldering the

ipes is melted is erected outside the tunnel, <J nd when lead is required the pot is placed over « . small fire and run in on a trolly. At about 4 " 'clock this morning the trolly, with several « rorkmen on it, was being run in, when, from v ome unexplained reason, the wbesls came off, w lapsizing it, throwing the men to the ground, ° tnd upsetting some of the molten lead over Jeorge Bean, who received some severe burns y in neck, back, and one of his sides. The n infortunate man, who resides at Caversham, c vas immediately taken home, where he ra. B seived medical treatment. Another man was t (Tightly scalded on one of his feet. n A copy of a telegram from the Under-Seore- * fcary for Public Works, forwarded by Messrs * Haggifct Bros, and Brent on behalf of Mr D- l Proudfcot, the contractor for the Caversham tramway, was considered by the Caversham a Borough Council at its meeting last evening. * Ehe telegram pointed out an objection to the t propDßed route of the tramway through there • being a crossing over the Clutha railway ftt ° Hillside, where there was a cutting, a sharp * surve, and a steep gradient, and sugge-.ted that B Eb lees objectionable route, which could be got * by running down M'Glashan street to a june- 8 tion with the other line in Cargill road, with a l crossing on the Hillside road near the Brick- J works, should be taken. The matter was re- • ferred to the Works Committee. * Messrs Paterson and M'Glashan, J.P.s, pre- ( sided at the City Police Court yesterday. Five defendants we ra disposed of for drunkenness. Annie Johnston, for using obscene language, was fined 10.*, and Elizabeth Kidd, charged with vagrancy, was sentenced to a month's imprisonment. John Polsey was charged with stealing a bottle of whisky from the premises of Messrs Either and Low, grocers, of George street, about 8 o'clock yesterday morning. It was stated that a shopman observed the prisoner loitering abdit the premises, and having his suspicions aroused had him searched, when a Lo'.tle of whisky, which bad been taken from n case at the entrance to the shop, was discovered in hi 3 pocket. The prisoner, who admitted the theft, was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment. Mr I. N. Watt, R.M., presided at the Port Chalmers Police Court yesterday, and disposed of four inebriates. He aftervraids sentenced H. Velteh to a, month's im[ r'somnent for embezzling the sum of L' 2 18s from his master } G. Herbert. Several civil cases were also disposed of. The cutting in Cargill street, which is at present being carried on by day labour by the City CcmiK'il, is progressing favourably, and will improve the street considerably when finished. The reason for the commencement of the work in the fir3t instauce was the existence of a spring of water in London street, which has, during the las: 20 years, been slightly undermining the ground, and the result was that a slip of the surface of the hill on the north side of Cargill stre9t took place. No business was tranFaoted at yesterday's sitting of the Resident Magistrate's C&urt. His Honor Mr Justice Willians will sit in Chambers and Banco to-Jay; in Bankruptcy on Monday, the 17th inst.; and in Banco on Wednesday and Thursday, the 19th and 20th iuat. ; and their Honow Mr Justice Johnston and Mr Justice Williams will sit in Banco on Monday, the 31st, aud following days. A special meeting of the University Council, ' held at the Education Office yesterday, was attended by the Hon. H. S. Chapman (Chancel--1 r), Eev. Dr Stuart (VioChwicellor), Hon. W. H. Reynolds, Judge Bathgate ; Messrs E. B. Ca'gill, J. Fulton, J. H. Han is, and W. H. Cutteu. The petition to the Queen for the Royal Charter wai singed by thoEe present, aud^a draft of au agreament between the Council and the Professors regarding the residences of the la'.ttr was read aud adopted. At the meeting of the Senate of the New Zealand Univeisity yesterday, the business was of au uninteresting character, with the exception of tha discussion of the motions bearing upon the proposal of the University Council of Otago to apply for a Royal Charter. Dr Stuart and the Rev. Mr Johnstone maintained that the Senate ought to take no action with referencs to this matter, but the majority of the Senate thought otherwise, and the following motiou was carried on the voices: —" That, in the opinion oE this University, it is undesirable that the pewer to confer University degrees should be possessed by moie than one institution ;».ii-—.ri.t » — —• — We wish to call the attention of the City Corporation to a matter of great importance to the health of the citizens. We refer to the nuisance caused by impure matter beingallowed to run alotig surface-drains where there is no underground drainage. In Rattray street this is the case, and it transpired from a case which came before the City Police Court the other day, in which some residents of Royal terrace were concerned, that the inhabitants of that locality were suffering from a nuisance caused in the manner referred to. Indeed we were shown a letter from a well-known doctor stating that two or three cases of severe illness had resulted from the vitiated atmosphere in this place. The City Corporation should cither provide underground drainage or take steps to put a stop to the nuisance complained of. Our Waiareka correspondent writes: — "Harvesting is about over in this district, aud most of the grain is safe in the stack or storehouse. Notwithstanding the disadvantages under which the crops were produced, the return of grain is very good. Many farms have suffered severely from ga'es of wind, reducing the yield of grain in gome cases by half, aud in others even more. But fortunately this is not general, and on the whole tin crops are eood. Threshing is pretty general throughout the district, and already special trains ate running day and night frequently to convey grain to market. Soon, wheu all the grain is threshed, tho railway authorities will find some difficulty in taking it away as fast as required. The weathtr still coutinuss very dry, but during the last fortnight there have bean a good few cloudy day?, with copious dews at n:ght. and consequently the brown fields are a<suni, ing a greener huo with fresh young grass Feed for stock has bean very scarce in the greater part of the district through the drought, s > tie grass now springing up will be very acceptable." A very novel as well as effectual mode for landlords to get rid of troublesome tenants has been adc pted by a resident in this city, lie had raised the rent and usid every other lawful means to make a tenant quit a cottnge belongng to him, without avail, and at lust he resorted o a pieca of strategetn—namely, to take off the roof of the tenement. This, however, did not have ths desired effect, owing to the fine weather which has prevailed of late, and he has now .taken down all tha doors. There is not the slightest doubt this manuer of doing business will prove efficacious in the long-run. The Chester Guardian of the 21st December says that Jaims Mace, the ex-champiou pugilist, has two sous who are preachers among the Plymouth Brethren, one of them being a young man of striking promise aud ability. Wo have seen reports lately of large stalks of corn being grown, in some localities (says the Tuapeka Times), but the following eclipses anything we have known. Oue of three stalks of short Tartarian oats, promiscuously taken from a good patch grown on the hillside by Mr John Scott, of Waitahuua, was found to contniu 335 grains, and 200 grains for each ear was quite a common thiug to find. After this, who will say to what state of fertility the hills of these district) may not bo brought. The Tuapeka Times is indebted to Mr Inspector Morra for the following information regarding a human skeleton found on the banks of the Molynsux, at Miller's Flat, on Saturday last:—From information received at the Police Station, Roxburgh, on Sunday last, the conttable in charge proceeded to the river bank at Moa Flat, where ha found the skeleton of a man, having attached to it a pair of boots and a pair of trousers. Mr William Westcott (of Moa Flat), identified the remains as those of his late brother-in-law, Denis Spellacy, who> on the 2nd July of last year, committed suicide by jumping into the river near the place where the remains have been found. Referring to the collision at Ashburton oa Tuesday, the Timaru Herald saya: — " The fore parts of both engines were considerably damaged, tho Yankee engine of the express mere than tho other. The buffers of the two foremost travelling carriages attached to the express were smashed, their wheels jolted.off the rails, and sorao of the glass doors were shattered. Several passengera got rather badly

at about the head and face, -while other amage was done to tha trucks of the goods rain. But for the coolness and promptitude isplayed by]Verden,the driver of the express, in nmediately reversing his engine, the collision rould, in all probability, have resulted in loss f life." The Press says that the ship Piako (is not et alongside the wharf, and has consequently ot commenced to discharge cargo. Two ngines for the Christchuroh section are on loard, and it is feared by tha railway »u----horities that they will be found to be very auch injured by fire. This will be the more o be regretted because they are now very ladly wanted, and the department have been ooking forward to their arrival. The Cromwell Argus understands that "steps ,re about to be taken for the formation of a ocal Acclimatisation Society. The matter has teen taken in hand by one or two gentltmen in his district, who take an interest in the object if such societies, and we doubt not their efforts rill be successful. Should the fee for memberhip be fixed at a reasonable sum annually, here is every reason to expect the society wil loon bo flourishing and popular. A similar >rganisation has recently been formed in Jueenstown, with promise of permanency. Che Lake County Council has voted LIOO to ;he funds of the Society, and we hope to see shis generous assistance copied by Vincent County when the subject is brought under the notice of councillors." The Wellington Chronicle says that landlords are sometimes let strange legacies by their lodgers. A youDg man who had been staying at a certain hotel in Wellington, and who had very ingeniously succeeded in running up a two months' account, did not put in an appearance after having been spoken to regarJing his bill. A few days afterwards the landlord opened the absconder's box, and found to his disgust that it contained nothing else but pieces of Bcantlicg carefully packel in leit'ur shavings. Tbe verdant Boniface thought that he had ample Eecurity for the payment of his little bill in the heavy trunk of his debtor; but that individual was evidently an old hand at the "diddling" business. " A turf dispute, the decision upon which shows how stringent is the operation of the rule that the assumed name of the owner of a racehorse must be duly registered," writes the Hobart Town Mercury of February 15, " was yesterday dea't with by the stewards of the Tasmanian Racing Club. The protest arose out of the George's Bay Eases held in April last. Two of the races, the St. Helens Handicap and Miners' Purse, were won by a horse named Victor, Mr C. G. Eady's Albion coming second. Albion afterwards ran for and won the Consolation Stakes. Mr Eady received this prize, but protested against Victor's owner receiving the stakes of the two races named, on the ground that he ran the horses under the assumed name of Merry's without registering it. The matter wai jointly referred by the treasurer of tbe George's Bay Races, Mr John C. Macmichael, and Mr Eady, to the stewards of the T.R.C., the chief points involved being whether, in the event of tbe name of Merry's being found to be unregis'ered, Victor should not be disqualified for the two races lie had won, and the stakes paid over to Mr Eady. Also, if the stewards so decided, whether the -treasurer of the Club should $&y the stakes, or should they be refunded by the owner of Victor, who had received them. It was also put whether Mr Eady should refund the Consolation Stakes in the event of the stewards deciding that he was entitled to the first money of the St. Helens Handicap and Miners' Puwe; further, it was submitted whether Mr Eady's protest had been properly entered, and who should pay the costs of the case. Tbe stewards decided that Victor was disqualified, as tbe name of Merry's had not besn properly registered, and therefore Mr Eady was entitled to receive the stakes for the St. Helens Handicap and Miner*' Purse from the treasurer of the George's Bay Races, the same to be refunded by the owner of Victor. It was also ruled that Mr Eady should refund the Consolation Stakes to tbe Club, and that each party should pay their own costs. | No opinion was given as to whether the protest was properly lodged." Mr Haywood's diorama of New Zealand scenery has been meeting with great success in in Christchurch shortly, after which it will pay a visit to Dunediu. The viows are said to be of a most interesting description, and a special feature of the exhibition consists of the photographic transparencies prepared by Mr Isles, of Oainaru. There was a good attendance at the Queen's Theatre last evening. The diorama of the Russo-Turkish War, and the gift distribution which took place during the latter part of the evening, proved as interesting as usual. Tonight an oleograph picture will be given for the best original conundrum on the American War Panorama, and a present will also be given for the worst one. The conundrums will be collected from the audience at 9 o'clock, and examined by a committee of gentlemen. At the Princes 3 Theatre last evening Mr Creswick reappeared in his grand character of King Lear—unquestionably the best in which he has yet been seen in Dunedin. There was a large attendance, and the feelings of the audience found vent from time to time in outbursts of enthusiasm. Mr Creswick received good support from Mr Vincent as Edgar, Mis 3 Ashton as Cordelia, Mdlle Novaro as Goneril, and the play was represented with as marked success as formerly. This evening Mr Creswiek will appear as Master Walter in " The Hunchback," and we confidently anticipate a crowded audience. A public moeting in connection w'th the New Zealand Temperance Alliance will be held in the Temperance Hall, Moray place, on Tuesday next, at 8 p.m.